Citroën C3 Aircross review: the car your kid will want to steal from you. It uses little fuel, seats up to seven, and is cheap

I’m almost certain Citroën will be back at the top of the sales charts. And it will do so thanks to the range of the new C3.

In a real revolution, the French brand has managed to listen to the current demand of the market and even stand up to the huge wave of Chinese brands already operating in Spain.

To compete, it needs a low price and a very complete range to choose from. There is a traditional petrol version, a petrol hybrid, and a 100% electric one. Of course, the Aircross is back too, and it can seat up to 7 passengers inside.

Tight, not unfair

On a trip around Sitges and the surrounding area, we set out to check whether this car meets the 3 B’s (good, beautiful and cheap). Starting with the exterior, we find the new brand logo at the front of a car 4.39 metres long (23 cm more than the previous one), 1.79 metres wide and 1.66 metres tall. Body cladding and the various mouldings on the lower body and wheel arches protect it, although this is also often a sign that the budget was tight. And it is precisely this impression that exists inside the cabin.

A 10.25-inch screen, and a 7″ instrument display at a time when most brands favour the more is more approach, not always to good effect. The gear selector sits on the centre console and is the same wheel used by other brands in the Stellantis group (Peugeot and Opel, among others). However, this one is different, because it has no driving modes. The version we tested was the 136-horsepower petrol hybrid, one of the most widespread engines in the group and one of the smartest if we want a car that doesn’t cost a fortune and doesn’t use much fuel.

The materials on the dashboard and doors are mainly hard plastics, combined with cloth. The steering wheel is quite flat at the bottom, and somewhat at the top, so it is very comfortable to handle. That said, the steering is rather soft, and while that is appreciated when manoeuvring in cities or car parks, on winding roads you miss those driving modes or the ability to customise things like the steering feel.

The seats are comfortable, although to my taste not particularly stylish, as they combine three colours and an extra layer of foam stands out as if it were a bar of chocolate. For this extra foam alone I expected a bit more comfort… That said, the physical buttons for the climate control are very well placed, located below the central screen.

During the route, fuel consumption stayed at all times below 6.5 litres/100 km, although it could probably drop further if we drive more smoothly on less twisty roads. The suspension makes itself felt, in a good way, and it is rare for a car so tightly priced to come with the Citroën Advanced Comfort suspension as standard, which absorbs road “imperfections” very well.

Its boot is around 460 litres, a figure similar to its rivals, although as I mentioned, it allows you to carry up to 7 passengers or fold down all the seats except the two at the front and reach 1,600 litres of cargo capacity.

Does it pass the test?

Its design is quite eye-catching, I like it. And it comes in six colours, with the option of a two-tone roof (and the door handles on all four doors in that same colour). Although as design is entirely subjective, if it meets the B for beautiful, I’ll leave that up to you. As for whether it is good, of course it can’t be compared with a car from a higher category or with one in its own category that costs much more, so if we weigh up the famous quality-to-price balance, we could say it is good. Second B confirmed.

And now comes the good news (in this case) or the bad, the price. This Citroën C3 Aircross starts at €19,290 for the petrol version, manual, with the most basic trim. That figure can rise to €30,000 if you want the top-of-the-range electric version.

Being a comfortable car, very versatile and one that doesn’t use much fuel, get ready to hear your son or daughter say: “can I borrow your car?”